1866: Boris Thomashefsky born in Asitnyashka, in the Kiev province of the Ukraine.

1873: Bessie Kaufman born in Tarashche, in the Kiev province of the Ukraine.

1878: Bessie's family emigrates to the United States, moving first to a farming region in southern Maryland before settling in Baltimore.

1879: Boris, at age 11, leaves for Berditchev to sing and train with Nisan Belzer's renowned synagogue choir.

1881: Boris and his family immigrate to America and Boris goes to work as a soloist in the Henry Street Shul on the Lower East Side of New York City.

1882: At a rented hall on the Lower East Side, Boris produces the first Yiddish Theater presentation in the United States, serving as manager, chorus master and lead female role for Koldunye (The Sorceress)

1885: Boris organizes his own theater troupe and performs in Chicago.

1887: Boris travels to Baltimore with his troupe; they perform his play Aliles Dam (Blood Libel) at Concordia Hall. He meets Bessie Kaufman.

1888: Boris persuades Bessie to join him in New York. He gives Bessie her first starring role in Goldfaden’s Shulamis, which is performed at the Boston Music Hall.

1889: Boris and Bessie marry. Boris organizes a new troupe and opens first Yiddish theater in Philadelphia.

1889: Esther Thomashefsky is born.

1889-1892: Boris and Bessie join Adler in Chicago where they form a new troupe.

1892-1893: Boris and Bessie perform at the German Thalia Theater in New York City, where Aleksander, der kroyn prints fun yerusholaim (Alexander,Ã‚Â Crown Prince of Jerusalem) is produced.

1895: Harry Thomashefsky is born.

1895: Esther Thomashefsky dies of diphtheria.

1897: Milton (Mickey) Thomashefsky is born.

1899: Der yeshive bokher (The Yeshivah Student) premieres at the Windsor Theater in New York City.

1899: Boris helps found the Yiddish Actor’s Union.

1899-1900: Boris becomes Joseph Edelstein’s partner at the People’s Theater, New York City.

1900: Dovidl meshorer (David the Chorister) premieres at the People’s Theater in New York City.

1900: Di emigrantn (The Immigrants) premieres at the People’s Theater.

1901: Boris and Bessie visit Europe and perform at the Berlin Yiddish Theater.

1902: Der farloyrener gan eydn (The Lost Paradise) premieres at the People’s Theater.

April 14, 2005: First performance of The Thomashefskys: Music and Memories of a Life in the Yiddish Theater at Carnegie Hall.

Caveat: The above dates represent the best estimates. Neither Bessie nor Boris ThomashefskyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s memoirs contain dates. We began with Zalmen ZylbercweigÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s entries in his Lexicon of Yiddish Theatre, then reconciled his dates with events described in the autobiographies, newspaper articles, copyright registrations and numerous other documents.